Saskatchewan Hospital’s chief psychologist took the stand at Kellie Johnson’s murder trial Wednesday and reiterated another doctor’s previous testimony — that strong delusions of having to save her youngest son from hell led 38-year-old Johnson to kill five-year-old Jonathan Vetter. 

Dr. Lindsay Robertson, director of forensic services and chief psychologist at Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford, testified at Saskatoon’s Queen’s Bench court. She worked extensively with Johnson, who was ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment at the hospital just six days after her son’s death in January 2014.

Vetter was found dead in a home on the 400 block of Avenue R South. According to an agreed statement of facts in the case, Johnson killed Vetter by slitting his throat.

She pleaded not guilty in February of this year to first-degree murder in her son’s death.

Robertson, whose testimony followed Tuesday’s statements from psychiatrist Dr. Mansfield Mela, shared further insight into Johnson's mental health. She told court Johnson’s mental health issues have been ongoing with different degrees of severity for years.

Johnson had been diagnosed with adjustment disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and paranoid schizophrenia.

She had been in and out of hospital for treatment and inconsistently took her prescribed medication, Robertson said.

Court was told she began hearing and seeing things that didn’t exist, beginning in 2006.

Johnson believed her boyfriend at the time was sexually abusing her eldest son — though police didn’t find any evidence of abuse.

Robertson said Johnson’s mental health deteriorated and she left her boyfriend in 2008. She moved to Saskatoon from rural Saskatchewan with her two sons, but couldn’t adequately care for them due to her failing mental health.

Robertson said Johnson still believes her ex-boyfriend molested her son.

Court also heard more about “the woman" — an imaginary person who Johnson believed worked for the devil. Johnson thought "the woman" was controlling her life, her family members’ souls and her environment. She believed “the woman” could do this through books, the computer and the television. 

Johnson believed “the woman” was going to kill her and that Vetter would be in danger, experts testified. “The woman,” Johnson believed, said Johnson’s ex-boyfriend would raise Vetter and molest him, which would lead Vetter to become a molester himself and which would lead him to be sent to hell.

In order to save Vetter from hell, Johnson believed she had to kill the boy to send him to heaven first.

Two weeks before Johnson murdered Vetter, she went to Wal-Mart and bought a large kitchen knife. Court heard her delusions were so strong that she hid the knife from “the woman" so she wouldn’t discover Johnson’s plan and kill her before she could save Vetter.

On Jan. 4, 2014, death threats from "the woman" became imminent, Robertson said. Johnson thought “the woman” was going to kill her with a blood clot or with complications with her thyroid — Johnson did have thyroid-related health issues.

That night Johnson told Robertson "the woman" was taunting her to the point she couldn’t sleep. Her legs were throbbing because "the woman" had been hurting her, she told Robertson.

In one of Robertson’s assessments, Johnson recounted the evening of Vetter’s death to Robertson. The psychologist testified Johnson was "acutely psychotic" the night of the killing. Johnson told Robertson she was scared and sad when she went to kill Vetter.

On Wednesday, Johnson looked blank and emotionless during testimony.

During cross examination, Crown prosecutor Brian Hendrickson questioned Robertson about some of Johnson’s actions leading up to, and after, the killing. He argued the actions could be considered rational.

Hendrickson is expected to call a rebuttal witness — a third doctor who treated Johnson — on Thursday.